NP's and medical training, Advice please

[creativetype2007]

I keep hearing that PA's are more medically trained then NP's yet they practically do the same job? When I see job postings it usually says PA or NP. I am finishing prereques for both types of programs (yes I'd have to get my RN first if I do NP) but I do love the challenge of being trained as a MD but not having that lifestyle or years in school. I'm in my 40's. I like that NP seems to offer more freedom and opportunity (so I believe). Any feedback would be much appreciated. I already have a bachelors degree but not in nursing. Just trying to sort things out.

[EbonyBorn2Succeed]

Seeing as you already have a bachelors degree i"m pretty sure that would cut some time off your schooling, you would have to discuss that with your school of course but to become a np you would first have to have your masters in nursing and then study 2 more years as an np. I do not think that is so bad seeing as you can basically do the same thing that a doctor can just with less stress. I say go for it! You only have 1 life:anpom:

[elkpark]

to become a np you would first have to have your masters in nursing and then study 2 more years as an np.

This is not true -- many NP programs are MSN programs (I say "many" rather than "all" because of the growing number of DNP programs), and don't require any additional study beyond the MSN.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Medicine and Nursing are separate disciplines. Physicians are the only discipline authorized to independently provide medical care so anyone who wants to practice medicine must go to medical school. Nursing is not a sub-set of medicine.

Nursing is the "liberal arts" of health care -- simnilar to the way civil engineers are to the field of engineering. Our knowledge base inlcudes sociology, psychology, anthropology, nutrition, etc in addition to the basic sciences. This is much more broad-based than medical (physician) education curricula.

NP practice extends outside the boundary/scope of nursing in order to provide carefully proscribed medical functions. However, they continue to operate within a nursing framwork of holistic practice... more focus on integration of the total person rather than attention only to the physiology of the disease or illness. NP practice places more importance on trust and communication rather than authority ("cause I am the doctor"). This results in a different type of provider-patient relationship and that is one of the main reasons that NPs have always experienced much lower levels of lawsuits and higher patient satisfaction.